Travis
is probably best known on this forum for his Ranger build that involved
shortening the bed and extending the cab on his 2001 Ford Ranger. Travis
then added a Flip-Pac camper to the back for more camping space.

As
interesting as the Ranger project was/is, it was actually the first
incarnation of this Ranger and Travis' North America expedition that truly
deserves acknowledgement.

Travis
started with a 2001 2WD Ford Ranger with a 2.3L 4-cylinder and 5-speed
manual transmission.

From
there he added a shell to the back and made a custom roof rack to go on
it:

He
also added a custom rear bumper that includes a spare tire and Hi-Lift
jack mount:

In
mid 2007, Travis departed on a solo journey through North America
covering over 22,000 miles in ten weeks. Travis traveled to Key West,
Florida, the southernmost point in the U.S., and traveled all the way to
Prudhoe Bay, AK, the northernmost point in the U.S.

I
couldn't cover every aspect of Travis' trip on this single page. Travis
kept a journal of his trip that can be found HERE.
It discusses his trip, sites he seen such as a space shuttle launch,
being at the ocean, traveling the mountain areas of the Smokey Mountains
and Blue Ridge Parkway, going to New York City, Canada, the vast western
states, the Dalton Highway in Alaska, and almost having a helicopter
land on him while he was camping.

You
really should take some time and read his journal. It's very inspiring.

Travis'
North American Adventure should inspire all of us to head out and
discover this great continent that we live on. It shows that you don't
need an extravagant RV or expedition vehicle to take your own cross
country trips. We should all feel the road calling us and break out from
our self imposed geographical boundries. Even if it's just a weekend
wheeling trip. Travis lived in his Ranger for 74 days. Imagine what you
could do out of your own Ranger, Bronco II or Explorer in just seven.

The
Latest Version Of The Ranger:

Travis
set out for South America in 2010. Unfortunately, Travis never made it
out of Mexico after breaking the left front spindle and developing a
knock in the motor.

After
weighing all of the contents of his truck, Travis realized that he was
overloading the trucks factory 1,260 payload capacity. Travis set out to
lighten the load on the truck, which included removing the Flip-Pac
camper, and switching to a used South African Serengeti Rooftop Tent
that he found on Craigslist.

Conclusion:

Not
only was this article intended to credit Travis
Schanafelt for his Ranger and North American Adventure, but it was
intended to inspire you to get out there and create your own adventure.
I hope this article inspires you. ~ Jim Oaks